King of the Wind

King of the Wind is based on the real 18th-century Godolphin Arabian horse, whose lineage influenced modern racing breeds. The narrative explores cross-cultural exchange through Africa, France, and England at the time, showing how animals and people moved across continents within global trade and aristocratic competition. The famous horse lived from about 1724 to 1753, dying at about age 29. Many legends about the Godolphin Arabian have sprouted up to supplement the sparse but remarkable historical details about his journey across cultures and continents. In Henry’s account, the horse is born in Morocco and sent to France as a gift from the sultan. The historical Sultan Moulay Ismail Ibn Sharif (spelled Mulai Ismael in the story) ruled from 1672 to 1727 and had diplomatic relations with French leaders, but evidence suggests that the horse may have been born in Yemen and then gifted to King Louis XV by the ruler of Tunisia. The horse was gifted to Louis XV, and historical records from the Vicomte de Manty, who saw the Godolphin Arabian in the king’s stables, offer information about the animal’s state when he arrived in France: “He was […] a horse of incomparable beauty whose only flaw was being headstrong.